Lichenized fungi are epiphytic components of forest areas where anthropogenic activities may cause changes in species composition and spatial distribution. The aim of this work is to evaluate how the lichen community is distributed on native and planted vegetation, and also to investigate possible preferences of the lichen community for specific host trees related to bark pH values. A total of 120 host-trees distributed in 12 remnants of native and planted vegetation were analyzed: native Araucaria forest and Araucaria, pine and eucalyptus plantations. Additional samples of lichenized fungi were collected in all vegetation types and adjacent trails, using a non-systematic sampling protocol. One hundred thirteen taxa of lichenized fungi were recorded, of which 78 species originated from the survey comparing the four habitats and 35 were added by additional collections. The highest species diversity was recorded in the Araucaria plantation while the greatest occurrence of shade tolerant taxa was found in the native Araucaria forest type. The largest number of lichen taxa was recorded on host-trees with basic bark pH. The wide variety of lichen community composition and distribution registered may be related to the host-tree characteristics found in these areas.
Araucaria Forest; bark pH; lichen composition; host-trees
